MOSCOW — The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) said on Friday it had suspended Russian national team player Evgeny Kuznetsov for four years for testing positive for cocaine.

Kuznetsov, who plays for the Washington Capitals, said he accepted his suspension.

“Representing my country has always been so close to my heart and something I take so much pride in,” Kuznetsov said in a statement on the team’s website.

“Not being able to put that sweater on for four years is very hard to take.”

The NHL and the IIHF operate under different anti-doping rules. Cocaine is not considered a performance-enhancing drug by the NHL, and Kuznetsov’s suspension will affect only his ability to play at international competitions such as the Olympic Games and world hockey championships.

“It is considered a drug of abuse that is tested for and for which intervention, evaluation and mandatory treatment can occur in appropriate cases,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement.

Kuznetsov had “voluntarily sought help through the education and counseling program” available at the league and agreed to submit himself to regular drug testing, Daly said.

The IIHF said the substance was detected during a doping control in May at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia.

A video allegedly showing Kuznetsov sitting next to unidentified lines of white powder was posted online in May. It was not immediately clear whether his positive doping test and the episode are linked.

Evgeny Kuznetsov is seen here in a short video with what appears to be white powder (likely cocaine) arranged into lines on a table next to American currency.

Kuznetsov has adamantly denied using drugs and said that he is "ready to undergo testing".

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